Warzone Economics

From: Adam Allington
Series: Front Line: Missouri Soldiers in Iraq
Length: 04:12

U.S. Army Civil Affairs is tasked with compensating Iraqis for accedential death and destruction. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Warzone Economics
From: Adam Allington

Cmoc_small Host: During combat, cities are destroyed, property is damaged and innocent civilians are often caught in the cross-fire. The Iraq War is no exception...the military calls this "collateral damage". U.S. Army Civil Affairs is charged with reconciling these cases of accidental damage and death. But the process is far from clear cut. Reporter Adam Allington traveled with a group of Army Reservists in in Al Anbar Province and prepared this report.

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Piece Description

Host: During combat, cities are destroyed, property is damaged and innocent civilians are often caught in the cross-fire. The Iraq War is no exception...the military calls this "collateral damage". U.S. Army Civil Affairs is charged with reconciling these cases of accidental damage and death. But the process is far from clear cut. Reporter Adam Allington traveled with a group of Army Reservists in in Al Anbar Province and prepared this report.

Broadcast History

Originally aired in St. Louis in December of 2007.
On Marketplace in January of 2008.

Transcript

Adam1: At a desolate Iraqi Police Station on the outskirts of Ramadi, three U.S. Army Civil Affairs soldiers (start fading Ambi element up and under here) set up a laptop in a cold, dusty room?a line of people form outside.

The soldiers review compensation claims from Iraqi civilians against coalition forces? the stories of destruction and loss may be true, but Sergeant First Class Michael Blanford says arriving at any concrete fact is often a Byzantine and frustrating experience.

(Ambi all the way up)
Miller: How old is he?, he?s 16
Translator: He?s born in 1988,
Blanford: Well on here it says he?s born in 1969.
Translator: Ha ha?oh my gosh?Arabic translation for a few seconds then fade down.

Blanford12 :30
I?m looking for those core things so that I can go back into military records and go ?ok, did this actually occur??most of the time you?re going to get your...
Read the full transcript